2012 AFC Champions League final

2012 AFC Champions League Ulsan Hyundai KOR 30px 3 Al-Ahli KSA 30px 0 10 November 2012 Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium Ulsan Kwak Tae-hwi (Ulsan Hyundai) AFC Kim Seung-yong (Ulsan Hyundai) Fans' Ben Williams (Australia)http://www.the-afc.com/en/media-releases/40494-ben-williams-to-officiate-acl-final Ben Williams to officiate ACL Final AFC 8 November 2012 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20121203063344/http://www.the-afc.com/en/media-releases/40494-ben-williams-to-officiate-acl-final 3 December 2012 42,153 Clear15 °C °F50% humidity 2011 2013 The 2012 AFC Champions League final was a football match which was played on Saturday, 10 November 2012, to determine the champion of the 2012 AFC Champions League. It was the final of the 31st edition of the top-level Asian club tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the 10th under the current AFC Champions League title. The match was played between Ulsan Hyundai from Korea Republic and Al-Ahli from Saudi Arabia. Ulsan Hyundai won 3–0 to win their first title.http://www.the-afc.com/en/tournaments/clubs/afc-champions-league/935-afc-champions-league-2012/40516-ulsan-hyundai-win-2012-afc-champions-league Ulsan Hyundai win 2012 AFC Champions League AFC 10 November 2012 As Asian champions, Ulsan Hyundai qualified to represent the AFC at the 2012 FIFA Club World Cup in Japan, entering at the quarter-finals.https://www.fifa.com/clubworldcup/news/newsid=1877382/index.html https://web.archive.org/web/20121113010203/http://www.fifa.com/clubworldcup/news/newsid=1877382/index.html dead November 13, 2012 Ulsan crowned new Asian kings 10 November 2012 FIFA.com 13 December 2012 Qualified teams TeamPrevious finals appearances (bold indicates winners)KOR Ulsan HyundaiNoneKSA Al-Ahli1986 Venue The AFC decided that the final would be hosted by one of the finalists.http://www.the-afc.com/en/resources/regulations-a-guidelines/competition-regulations/2012/338-afc-champions-league-2012-competitions-regulations/download AFC Champions League 2012 Competitions Regulations AFC PDF dead https://web.archive.org/web/20120723144348/http://www.the-afc.com/en/resources/regulations-a-guidelines/competition-regulations/2012/338-afc-champions-league-2012-competitions-regulations/download 2012-07-23 On 14 June 2012, the draw for the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final was made. For the final, the winner of semi-final 2 (played between the winners of quarter-finals 3 and 4) would be the home team, while the winner of semi-final 1 (played between the winners of quarter-finals 1 and 2) would be the away team.http://www.the-afc.com/en/component/content/article/935-afc-champions-league-2012/39436-sf2-winners-to-host-acl-final https://archive.today/20121217190840/http://www.the-afc.com/en/component/content/article/935-afc-champions-league-2012/39436-sf2-winners-to-host-acl-final dead 2012-12-17 AFC SF2 winners to host ACL Final 2012-06-14 As a result, Ulsan Hyundai are the home team, and Al-Ahli are the away team. The match was played at Ulsan Hyundai's home stadium, Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium, at Ulsan, South Korea. It was one of the stadiums used at the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Road to final 2012 AFC Champions League KOR Ulsan HyundaiRoundKSA Al-AhliByeQualifying play-offByeOpponentResultGroup stageOpponentResultCHN Beijing Guoan2–1 (H)Matchday 1QAT Lekhwiya0–1 (A)JPN FC Tokyo2–2 (A)Matchday 2IRN Sepahan1–1 (H)AUS Brisbane Roar1–1 (H)Matchday 3UAE Al-Nasr2–1 (A)AUS Brisbane Roar2–1 (A)Matchday 4UAE Al-Nasr3–1 (H)CHN Beijing Guoan3–2 (A)Matchday 5QAT Lekhwiya3–0 (H)JPN FC Tokyo1–0 (H)Matchday 6IRN Sepahan1–2 (A)Group F winner Team Pld Played W Won D Drawn L Lost GF Goals for GA Goals against GD Goal difference Pts PointsKOR Ulsan Hyundai6420117+414JPN FC Tokyo6321126+611AUS Brisbane Roar6033611−53CHN Beijing Guoan6033611−53Final standingsGroup C runner-up Team Pld Played W Won D Drawn L Lost GF Goals for GA Goals against GD Goal difference Pts PointsIRN Sepahan641194+513KSA Al-Ahli6312106+410UAE Al-Nasr6204611−56QAT Lekhwiya620459−46OpponentAgg.1st leg2nd legKnockout stageOpponentAgg.1st leg2nd legJPN Kashiwa Reysol3–2 (H) (one-leg match)Round of 16UAE Al-Jazira3–3 (aet) (4–2 p) (A) (one-leg match)KSA Al-Hilal5–01–0 (H)4–0 (A)QuarterfinalsIRN Sepahan4–10–0 (A)4–1 (H)UZB Bunyodkor5–13–1 (A)2–0 (H)SemifinalsKSA Al-Ittihad2–10–1 (A)2–0 (H) Summary thumb|Lee Keun-Ho was named as MVP of the tournament. Ulsan Hyundai became the third K-League club in four years to be crowned Asian champions with a 3-0 win over Al Ahli of Saudi Arabia in the final of the AFC Champions League at Ulsan Munsu Stadium on Saturday with goals from captain Kwak Tae-Hwi, Brazilian striker Rafael dos Santos de Oliveira (Rafinha) and Kim Seung-Yong learned last year's K-League Cup winners their first-ever continental crown and a place at next month's FIFA Club World Cup in Japan. Ulsan were the fourth Korean side in a row to reach the final and Kim Ho-gon's team join Pohang Steelers and Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma in lifting the title after their successes in 2009 and 2010 respectively. The win was nothing less than Ulsan deserved against an Al Ahli side who were also making their first appearance in the final of the AFC Champions League but who appeared overawed by the occasion. Ulsan took command early on with Rafinha firing off an effort from the edge of the area seven minutes in while Kwak headed Kim Seung-yong's corner wide three minutes later. It only took a further three minutes, though, for the Korean side to go in front with Ulsan's prowess from set pieces paying dividends when Kim Seung-yong flicked a free kick into the area and Kwak rose highest to head past Abdullah Al Muaiof. The goal did little to wake Al Ahli out of their slumber and, although the time spent in the Ulsan half increased, Karel Jarolim's team did little to make it count. It was at the other end that the majority of the action continued, with Ulsan's Colombian midfielder Juan Estiven Velez trying his luck from range twice in the space of three minutes, but both his efforts were off target. Indeed, it was Ulsan's complacency at the back that threatened to allow Al Ahli back into the game as the home side gave away possession too easily on several occasions, but only Motaz Al Mosa went close to testing Kim Young-kwang when he shot over the bar with seven minutes left in the half. Al Ahli shook off some of the lethargy that had hampered their play in the opening 45 minutes, but Ulsan still remained in the ascendancy and, by the 67th minute, they had doubled their lead. Velez's left footed cross from the right was headed across goal by Kim Shin-wook and Rafinha emerged through a trio of Al Ahli defenders to poke the ball over the line and to send most of the 42,153 fans in Ulsan Munsu Stadium into raptures. And eight minutes later Kim Seung-yong confirmed the title would be heading back to Korea with a fierce low left-foot drive that Al Muaiouf could do little to keep out. thumb|left|2012 AFC Champions League Final in Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium. Winning head coach, Kim Ho-Gon hailed Ulsan Hyundai's historic maiden AFC Champions League: "Ulsan have had to wait for a long time to come to final so I told the players we must win the game and to do that we must play a normal game," said Ulsan coach Kim Ho-gon. "The players created a lot of pressure in the first half and all of the players played their part." Ulsan were always in control of the contest despite Al Ahli improving after Kwak's 13th-minute header from Kim Seung-yong's free-kick and after Rafinha's fifth goal in as many games seven minutes after the hour mark, Kim Seung-yong sealed the win in spectacular fashion with 15 minutes remaining as Ulsan netted their 27th goal of the campaign. "After the first goal the players felt they could win and they made some mistakes and allowed Al Ahli to create some attacks," added Kim Ho-gon, At half-time I talked to the players and the second half was very good." Having won their group with an unbeaten record ahead of Japan's FC Tokyo, Ulsan edged out J.League champions Kashiwa Reysol 3-2 in the Round of 16 to maintain Korean interest in the competition and Ulsan bettered their 2006 run to the semi-finals with wins over Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal and Uzbekistan's Bunyodkor in the knockout stage. "After the first group game every game felt like a final, but the final did not feel like a final as we had done so well in the semi-final," added Kim Ho-gon. Having won the AFC Champions League title for the first, Ulsan have also earned an appearance at next month's FIFA Club World Cup in Japan with Kim Ho-gon's side set to meet Mexico's Monterrey in the quarter-finals. "I am so happy for the players," added Kim Ho-gon. "They wanted to play in the FIFA Club World Cup and it is the same for me. This is the happiest day in my coaching career." A despondent Karel Jarolim poured praise on the players of Ulsan Hyundai: "Maybe we are expecting a lot from the players and it's true they didn't perform well, but it's not because they didn't want to but because Ulsan are a strong team and they played well," said Jarolim. "Most of the players did their best but Ulsan are strong and they deserved to win. This is football." Al Ahli went behind after just 13 minutes, when Kwak scored with a header, but with the Saudi side unable to pull themselves back into the game, Rafinha's strike midway through the second half all but killed the game before Kim put the seal on the victory. "After the first goal I think we created a few chances to score at least one goal in the first half, but the strikers didn't score and they didn't work with the ball very well," said Jarolim. "I was planning to make some changes in the second half but I was surprised when Ulsan scored and after that I thought our players lost their concentration and didn't focus well on the match. Ulsan controlled the ball and won the match." While Ulsan may be champions, the Korean side are unlikely to qualify for next year's competition given their poor showing in the latter stages of the K-League's championship round, but Al Ahli have already booked their spot in the 2013 edition by finishing second in last year's Saudi Professional League. Jarolim is hoping his players have learned lessons from their run to this year's final that they can put in place for the 2013 campaign. "The team learned a lot this year by playing against different strong teams," said the coach. "Al Ahli is a very young team and these players have gained experience this season and they will work hard for next year and will try to do our best." Match details 10 November 2012 19:30 UTC+09:00 Ulsan Hyundai KOR 3–0 https://archive.today/20121205101320/http://www.the-afc.com/en/acl2012-schedule-results?fixtureid=6774&stageid=261&tMode=H&view=ajax&show=matchsummary Report KSA Al-Ahli Kwak Tae-hwi 13Rafinha 68Kim Seung-yong 75 Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium, Ulsan 42,153 Ben Williams (Australia) _ulsan12h _ulsan12h _ulsan12h _ulsan12h 0077FF 0077FF 0077FF 0077FF 0077FF Ulsan Hyundai _ahli1112h _ahli1112h _ahli1112h _ahli1112h FFFFFF FFFFFF FFFFFF 177245 FFFFFF Al-Ahli Ulsan Hyundai: 4–4–2 GK 1 KOR Kim Young-KwangDF 2 KOR Lee YongDF 4 KOR Kang Min-Soo 31DF 5 KOR Kwak Tae-Hwi (c)DF 14KOR Kim Young-Sam 68MF 8 KOR Lee Ho 46MF 13KOR Kim Seung-YongMF 20COL Julián Estiven VélezFW 9 KOR Kim Shin-WookFW 11KOR Lee Keun-HoFW 19BRA Rafinha 79 88SubstitutesGK 18KOR Kim Seung-GyuDF 3 KOR Lee Jae-Seong 68DF 22KOR Choi Bo-KyungMF 7 KOR Ko Chang-HyunMF 17KOR Go Seul-Ki 46FW 10BRA Maranhão 88FW 21KOR Lee Seung-YeoulManagerKOR Kim Ho-GonAl-Ahli: 4-3-3 GK 22KSA Abdullah Al-MayoufDF 2 KSA Kamel Al-MorDF 4 KSA Waleed Bakshween 71DF 16KSA Haider Al-AmerDF 21KSA Ageel BalghaithDF 47KSA Mustafa Al-Bassas 90+2MF 3 COL Jairo PalominoMF 5 KSA Moataz Al-Musa 66 72MF 8 KSA Taisir Al-Jassim (c) 86FW 7 BRA Victor SimõesFW 20OMA Amad Al HosniSubstitutesGK 1 KSA Yasser Al MosailemDF 28KSA Jufain Al-BishiMF 10ARG Diego Alberto Morales 86MF 14KSA Mohammad MassadMF 24KSA Abdulrahim Jaizawi 71MF 26KSA Mohsen Al-Eisa 72FW 11KSA Essa Al-MehyaniManagerCZE Karel Jarolím AFC's Man of the Match: Kwak Tae-Hwi (South Korea) Assistant referees: Luke Brennan (Australia) Paul Cetrangolo (Australia) Fourth official: Strebre Delovski (Australia)Match rules 90 minutes. 30 minutes of extra time if necessary. Penalty shoot-out if scores still level. Seven named substitutes. Maximum of three substitutions. Statistics +First half Ulsan Hyundai Al-AhliGoals scored 1 0Total shots 7 1Shots on target 5 0Saves 1 2Ball possession 60% 40%Corner kicks 3 2Fouls committed 5 12Offsides 1 0Yellow cards 1 0Red cards 0 0 +Second half Ulsan Hyundai Al-AhliGoals scored 2 0Total shots 16 8Shots on target 10 2Saves 1 0Ball possession 50% 50%Corner kicks 2 3Fouls committed 5 5Offsides 2 0Yellow cards 1 2Red cards 0 0 +Overall Ulsan Hyundai Al-AhliGoals scored 3 0Total shots 23 9Shots on target 15 2Saves 2 2Ball possession 55% 45%Corner kicks 5 5Fouls committed 10 17Offsides 3 0Yellow cards 2 2Red cards 0 0 References External links http://www.the-afc.com/en/tournaments/clubs/afc-champions-league AFC Champions League en championsleague Final Category:Ulsan HD FC matches Category:Al-Ahli Saudi FC matches 2012 Category:Sports competitions in Ulsan Category:Football matches in South Korea Category:2012 in South Korean football Category:November 2012 sports events in Asia Category:2012–13 in Saudi Arabian men's football